Frans Hals (1582-1666) was a Dutch Baroque painter of the 17th century. His loose brushwork seduced Impressionism and was seen by Van Gogh, Monet and Manet.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is hosting a retrospective of his work for the first time. Hals was born in Antwerp, but moved to the north of the country when he was 14. He married twice, had at least 14 children and lived to 84 years old.